Explore by Career/Production
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
- Median pay
- $40,900
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- +4.5%
- Stable
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Key skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Coordination
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
What they do
- Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
- Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
- Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
- Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
- Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
- Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
- Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.
- Start machine by engaging controls.
- Tend or operate machine that packages product.
- Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides.
Majors that lead here
No mapped majors yet.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.